How to Take a Passport Photo at Home

In the UK we have the privilege of being able to take our own passport photographs. Most of us will pop down to the local automated machine and have passport photo size prints inside ten minutes – but at the cost of at least £5 per set, photographing the whole family for a batch of passport renewals in time for that holiday can quickly add up.It’s a cost, though, that can be quickly and simply avoided by setting up a shoot at home, working some Photoshop magic to your images, and printing on some decent quality photo paper at the correct passport photo dimensions. Our money-saving guide shows you how to shoot your own passport sized photos quickly and easily at home…

Make Your Own Passport Photos – Official guidelines

Shooting passport photographs demands that you stick to some stringent rules. A neutral expression with closed mouth, no red-eye, clear and sharp focus, with a plain cream/grey background, posed face-on to the camera, are all a must. The photo should also have been taken in the last month – so you won’t be able to use an old photo that you happen to have on your computer.

There should be no shadows on the face, no hair in the face, no facial-coverings and, after printing on photo paper, the images must have no tears, creases or marks. Though official rules state you cannot wear anything that covers your head, there is an exemption if the covering is worn for religious or medical reasons.

The official rules state ‘no glare off glasses’, though if you wear glasses you’re probably best off just removing them entirely – you also can’t wear tinted glasses or sunglasses.

If you’re taking a passport photo of a young child they have to be the only person in the photo – you can’t prop them up in your lap. Official advice suggests that very young infants are placed on a grey sheet and photographed from above. The posing restrictions for children under 6, however, are a little less stringent – the child doesn’t have to be looking at the camera or maintaining a neutral expression. Children under 1 also don’t have to have their eyes open, though if someone is supporting their head with a hand, that hand is not allowed to be visible.

Make Your Own Passport Photos – Shooting

Find a light-coloured wall (should be light grey or cream, not 100% white where possible) as a background and shoot your passport photo subject using the portrait orientation.

Avoid using the flash as this increases the likelihood of red-eye and background shadows (however, if you can turn the flash down then a small pop of fill-in can provide good colour balance and open up facial detail).

Daylight is best, such as from a window, as this can provide as equal a balance as possible to avoid shadows on the face and background. Flat lighting is integral, as shadows over the face may cause your images to be rejected. Expose for the subject’s face, preferably using a spot or centre-weighted evaluative metering setting if your camera offers this.

Take several photos as to get the best possible image, avoiding smiling and blinking. You could even do this yourself if you use the camera’s self-timer and rest on an appropriate surface or, if you have one, use a tripod.

You can’t use a photo that has been cut down from a larger photo, so make sure to position yourself or the subject so that they are completely filling the frame. The image of you, from the crown of your head to your chin must be between 29 and 34mm (while the overall height of the image is 44mm).

When reviewing your images, ensure that they are well exposed – you don’t want underexposure, as the detail of the face will be lost in the shadows.

Your surroundings are important and need to be neutral – for example, should you stand by something red it will have a luminescence that will reflect red light back onto you. So snaps from down the local boozer won’t do – you have to specifically shoot for the right posed shot in the correct location. As much as a photobooth will happily do all this for you, avoiding the expense is the target here.

List of places where you can take passport photos and other photo printing services in the UK

Photo Prints Photo Printing Online Photo Printing Prints Snapfish.
It’s more than a print. It’s a memory worth holding on to. Printed with archival-quality inks on professional-grade photo paper these are real keepers meant to be enjoyed for years to come. You can also choose. Matte or glossy finish. Mail order or pick up in store. Frames add a finishing touch to your most prized photos. Helpful tips for ordering prints. Want a little guidance to help make prints youll treasure for years? Check out these tips. What’s different in the new Snapfish.

Order Photo Prints Walgreens Photo.
Shipping costs may apply if in-store pickup is not available in your area. Subject to change without notice. When ordering photo prints online or in store our photo printing services provide you with quality vibrant Photo Prints. You can pick up your prints in about 1 hour at any Walgreens you choose or have them mailed to any address you choose. This convenience makes it easy to share digital prints with friends and family wherever they live. Create an account and you can order professionally developed 4×6 prints 5×7 and 8×10 enlargements from your online photo library. You can also order posters college prints and larger poster-sized collages!

Photo Printing Services Digital Photo Printing FedEx Office.
FedEx Office Print Ship Center also offers a full range of photo printing services that can help you make the most of your photos. 100 online orders ship free 1. Starting at 7.25 sq. Photo Prints with Sony PictureStation TM. With bright clean and thoroughly saturated colors the Sony PictureStation delivers prints comparable to those you’d get from a traditional photofinisher.